Mount and Blade Central Asia

Author's words: Regarding the price reference of armor of this era, I referred to contemporary Britain because the relevant records are relatively comprehensive, the island country is relatively closed, and the royal family has always been relatively strong, and inflation has always been under control, so it is more valuable for reference.

In the Muslim world at that time, the price might have been a little higher, because the gap between the two sides in metal processing technology, especially in the field of armor, had begun to widen since the end of the 14th century. This example can only be used as a reference.

In addition, although the examples are taken from the UK, it should be noted that the shilling only officially became a widely circulated currency after 1569, and the pound as a monetary unit was officially circulated in 1643. Before that, both the pound and the shilling were only units of weight, and silver pennies (1.3-1.5 gram pure silver coins, which have been widely circulated in the UK since the 10th century AD and have maintained stability in value and silver content for more than four hundred years) were used as the basic unit for conversion.

In addition, the modern British currency conversion unit is 1 pound = 20 shillings = 240 pence, so I haven't figured out the price below yet, whether it is converted according to the currency unit or the weight unit. If it is converted according to the former, the weight of a pound silver coin is about 110 grams of pure silver, and according to the latter, it is over 400 grams. I can't understand the English data... So everyone just read it for fun, just treat it as a side knowledge, don't take it seriously.

以1374年英国为例子，一整套骑士盔甲包含头盔的价格是16镑6先令8便士（1镑=20先令=240便士），而在1369年，一顶带内衬的贝斯奈特头盔（中型头盔）的价格为16先令。

With the breakthrough of metallurgical industry in the mid-fifteenth century, the price of armor dropped by more than half. In 1441, the full body armor imported into Milan cost 8 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pence, and the armor of the attendants was around 6 pounds.

Therefore, in this era, in the area where Li Rufeng is located, full-face helmets are still a considerable asset for soldiers.

Chapter 258: Ali in Trouble

"Moser, sit down and rest for a while. Why are you so anxious?" An immortal knight named Zals stood beside Moser. He was wearing a suit of armor decorated with carvings. Judging from the style, it was the full-body plate armor that had just become popular in Florence, and it was quite expensive.

"It's just a small town, not worth wasting too much of our time." Mozer had a good impression of Zals. It might be because he had just been promoted to an Immortal Knight. Although his body was decaying and more than half a pound of pus could be poured out of his armor every day, he still kept himself clean on the surface.

Although his armor was rusty, there was no filth gathered on it.

As for Zales, his armor was not only brand new, but it could also reflect light in the sunlight.

"The machine has been erected?" Moser found the overseer sent by Sultan Nasser, a dark-skinned eunuch named Ignis Alvarado.

"We will do our best, Lord Mozer, ahem..." There was no expression on Ignis's dark face, but his tone was obviously not that confident.

"What's the problem?" Moser frowned. This eunuch was a spy sent by Sultan Nasir, and he was also one of the few "mortals" in this army.

"The slaves' work efficiency is very low and they need to be replenished, cough cough... and the craftsmen responsible for building the catapults are all sick. I don't know if they can get up and work, cough cough..." Ignis's tone was also a little weak. Obviously, he did not have the honor to obtain the power of the Green Wind from his Sultan.

"I've already sent people to capture new slaves, but now I want to see efficiency." Moser hadn't yet completely freed himself from the constraints of his mortal body. Perhaps once the flesh beneath his armor decayed, he would become as cold and ruthless as those immortal knights, but for now...

"Tell those craftsmen that I will grant health to the first one who stands up and finishes his work," Moser said finally.

"I will convey your wishes, my lord. Look at me..." Ignis looked at him with eyes that contained flattery, fear and disgust, which made Mozer feel inexplicably irritated.

"Go away and do your job. If I don't see the catapult set up before dawn, you can just put on your cloak and join the ranks of slave laborers!" Moser grabbed the whip, whipped the eunuch in the face, and drove him away.

Late at night, Moser rode out of the camp alone, while the immortal knights in the camp had already started their usual banquets, night talks and other activities.

The plague slave soldiers still maintained their formation, like statues. Those soldiers, like the cavalry behind them, were the carriers of the power of the Corrupted Green Wind.

Although their bodies were decaying, they had gained extraordinary strength and power. Before their bodies were completely hollowed out by the plague, they were all good soldiers.

Mozer placed himself among the plague slaves, feeling the desire for life beneath their heavy bodies, and gradually calmed his anger.

He looked at the lights on the city of Aleppo with indifference. He knew that his former companions were on the high city walls, but both sides had embarked on completely different paths.

The Immortal Knights are warriors recognized by the Green Wind. The oldest among them has lived for over 150 years and is said to have participated in the Battle of Ain Jalut, which defeated the Mongols.

Moser didn't know if he could live that long. He shuddered at the thought of this possibility. He had never even seen the other party speak, and he had never even taken off his helmet. Maybe there was only a skeleton left under the armor.

They don't know where their future lies, but just let the powerful arrange it for them at will.

Fragility means easy to be broken. Li Rufeng could not make them identify themselves as Aleppo people and loyal subjects under Li Rufeng's rule overnight, but the Lifang system transformed a big concept into a smaller concept.

In order to facilitate epidemic prevention and blockade, Li Rufeng asked the divided neighborhoods to temporarily block the original passages with stones, sand and other debris at the boundaries of their respective areas according to the plan.

Although this weakened mobility to a certain extent, it strengthened the existence of the Lifang system in psychological and practical terms, giving people a primary sense of belonging.

As the vested interests, the "fangzheng" are willing to devote more energy to managing their own status. They either spontaneously or forcedly begin to organize the residents of the fang to patrol at night to prevent arson and poisoning.

The lord's constant hints that this war might bring a plague became the motivation for these people to take action...

Life was difficult for Ali. He hadn't anticipated the unexpected challenges he would encounter in his previous plans. This wasn't the first time he had unleashed a plague on a city. Last time, in Cairo, almost no one realized what he had done.

I'm afraid that Sultan Nasir still doesn't know why the plague suddenly broke out in his capital, and it ultimately became the last straw that broke the camel's back...

Adjust update time

The whole family has caught a cold these days, and we've been going back and forth to the hospital. I can't take it anymore, so the update time has been changing. I'm really sorry. I'll adjust and go to bed early today. I'll update the chapter around 9 o'clock tomorrow night.

Chapter 259: Caught

As a knight of the Eagle of Order, Abdul Aziz was left behind to assist Li Rufeng in tracking down Ali's whereabouts, so he witnessed with his own eyes how the city of Aleppo was divided into dozens of small areas, and on the basis of enforcing a curfew, it became an airtight prison like an iron barrel.

Although Li Rufeng was able to do this because of the size of Aleppo's population and the high proportion of soldiers under his command, without strong grassroots control capabilities, the riots caused by the curfew alone would be enough to put the city in trouble.

But Li Rufeng firmly controlled the city in his hands. Although Ali has not been found yet, he has ruled out the 17 most populous neighborhoods. If nothing goes wrong, he will be able to check all areas and find the little mouse by tomorrow night at the latest.

Abdul Aziz had never worked so closely with secular lords before, so he preferred to capture Ali himself so that the Eagle of Order's remaining face could be preserved to some extent.

Compared to Haishar, Abdul is not so free and easy, and is not willing to expose the weakness of the Eagle of Order to the secular lords.

After all, it's not a good reputation for an organization whose mission is to fight the threat of the Four Wind Gods to have traitors appearing one after another.

As a senior knight, Abdul was extremely sensitive to the scent of the Green Wind. This sensitivity did not come from his sense of smell, but rather from an intuition. The more often mortals came into contact with the power of the Four Wind Gods, the more likely they would develop this intuition, which was often the beginning of being bewitched.

The Knights of the Eagle of Order are much stronger than ordinary people in this regard. Their firm beliefs, strong physiques, and confidence brought by their superb martial arts make them more resistant to this kind of erosion.

Ultimately, anyone who tries to gain power from the Four Winds God is someone who seeks something, and the members of the Order Eagle have long been prepared in this regard.

Over here... Abdul frowned and followed the faint smell into an alley. Not far away, a patrol team consisting of four soldiers and eight residents happened to pass by.

"Who are you!" The leader of the team was Li Rufeng's personal guard. Abdul had met the other party three times that night, but each time the other party strictly followed the curfew orders.

"Abdul Aziz! This is my token!" Abdul admired such a dedicated person, but he still felt a little annoyed when his identity was confirmed seven or eight times by different patrol teams in one night, and these people obviously knew him.

He now began to wonder if this was Li Rufeng's way of expressing his dissatisfaction with them...

"Slogan!" The guard asked in a low voice after approaching. The curfew designed by Li Rufeng changed the slogan every two hours after nightfall.

"Burning flames..." Abdul took a while to react before speaking. He always felt that this slogan was not very auspicious.

"Sterile and spotless." The guard received the code, glanced at Abdul and asked, "Did you find anything? Do you need our help?"

"Not necessary for now." Abdul shook his head and turned to walk into the alley. He was not sure whether that was Ali. Although he admitted that the lord's guards were elite, the ordinary people behind them were not suitable to get involved in such matters.

Abdul could see clearly that the residents following behind him were all very suspicious, fearing that they might encounter some unknown danger in the corner.

Watching the patrol leave, Abdul turned and walked into the alley. From the smell, he was sure that he was pursuing the traces left by the followers of the Green Wind. But how likely was it that there was a second follower of the Green Wind in the city now?

...

A

He gave up the idea of ​​poisoning. These people were too alert, as if they had anticipated what he was going to do. In addition to the fixed guards near the well, the patrol team's patrol route would pass by this place every time, leaving him no chance.

"Foolish... mortal thinking has bound you..." The voice appeared in his ears again, tempting Ali to worship the power of the Green Wind in the most extreme way.

Ali, who studied under Master Ahmed, had also come into close contact with followers of the Green Wind, but he had never heard of such a situation. This unexpected situation made Ali look worried.

Even for the followers of the Four Winds themselves, this unexpected attention is very dangerous. Whether it comes from the Green Wind itself or the attention of a demon living in the Green Wind Garden, it is equally dangerous to the person being paid attention to.

Ali ignored the voice in his head and walked carefully along the shadows at the base of the wall to avoid the ubiquitous patrol soldiers and the monitors who wanted to make some extra money...

"Ali..." A familiar voice froze Ali in his tracks. "Don't move. Don't move a finger, or you'll die."

The voice was cold and calm, simply describing what was about to happen.

"Master Abdul?" Ali sighed, then whispered, "Is that you? I know you think I've betrayed the Eagle of Order, but could you please give me a minute to explain?"

Ali finished speaking, and without waiting for Abdul to reply, he immediately said, "I was forced by Master Ahmed! The panacea he made requires my blood to work. At first, it was a small cup every month, and later it became a large bowl every month! He forced me to believe in the Green Wind. All this is for my blood..."

Abdul naturally turned a deaf ear to such nonsense, but Ali did not say it to make the other party believe it. He just wanted to cover up the little movement of his hands.

In Ali's hand, the belly of a rat corpse that exuded a foul smell was constantly expanding, and soon it looked like a pregnant woman in her tenth month, and the skin was stretched to a point of transparency.

Then, as Ali applied a drop of the panacea that he had applied on his finger in advance as a precaution into the mouse's mouth, the mouse suddenly... came back to life, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the crystal bottle of the panacea bit by bit.

Ali gently loosened his grip, and the mouse crawled down his trouser leg, then disappeared quickly into the darkness from the shadows with agility that was inconsistent with its body shape.

"There's no point in saying more, Ali. It's better to die in my hands than in the hands of others." Abdul didn't notice Ali's little movement. He blocked Abdul's sight with his body.

"Well, Master Abdul, you may proceed now." Ali turned carefully and faced Abdul. "Or you can take me back to see my teacher. Perhaps I can be of some use in this war."

The author says:

Author's words: I have a fever of over 39 degrees Celsius, and I feel completely lost. I feel like the IV is not working. I'm afraid the medicine the hospital gave me is not right. I'll start with 2,000 words today.

Chapter 260: Night of Disaster

(Today is cooler, the fever is gone, and the cough is less severe. I felt like I almost died during this wave.)

Li Rufeng rested for several hours in the lord's mansion, half asleep and half awake. From the time he received the news until now, he had not slept for almost forty-eight hours. He was almost unable to hold on both physically and mentally.

But even in his dreams he couldn't sleep well. Li Rufeng dreamed that the city gates were breached, then he dreamed that plague was spreading in the city and corpses were everywhere, and then he dreamed that he was assassinated.

Finally, when Satuya woke Li Rufeng up in a somewhat panicked tone, he even felt a sense of relief.

"What's wrong?" Li Rufeng tied her hair up randomly and asked after drinking a large glass of cold tea.

"Lord Muzaffar asked me to tell you that the bad guys have built a trebuchet!" Satuya actually had no idea what a trebuchet was, she was just responsible for passing on the message.

But the hatred for the enemies outside the city was genuine, and this was also the mentality of most Aleppo residents. Li Rufeng spent several months convincing them that he was a reliable lord and that their lives would get better and better as long as they followed him. However, the sudden war interrupted this process, so the whole city had a sense of shared hatred for the enemy.

When Li Rufeng rode to the city gate tower, the followers of the Green Wind outside the city had already set up a second catapult.

Muzaffar was one of the most core officers under Timur. He was an officer on horseback and a civilian on foot. Standing on the city wall, he would rotate the soldiers defending the city to rest from time to time, and every order he gave was very strict.

"How's the situation?" Li Rufeng yawned. He was still half asleep.

But no one can sleep well when dealing with this group of followers of the corrupt green wind.

Given the number of enemy troops outside the city, they should not have even thought of attacking the city, but not only did they do it, but they did it openly and honestly, not taking the defenders seriously at all.

Li Rufeng had received a more detailed battle report from Haishar and others at night. He knew that the followers of the Green Wind outside the city were all half-immortal.

This news was kept secret from the city's defenders, who were mainly militiamen, for the time being, but all archers had switched to shovel-shaped arrows and were required to follow the officers' orders and shoot only after the enemy approached the moat.

"Big

"Those people outside the city haven't had any rest all night, and the morale of the militia is very low." Muzaffar whispered to Li Rufeng. In fact, it was not just the militia, but all the soldiers who saw the enemy outside the city had very low morale.

Those heavy infantrymen stood in formation like sculptures for more than four hours at night, motionless.

"If they don't rest, we can just take advantage of the situation and wait for them to tire themselves out." Li Rufeng smiled and comforted Muzaffar.

But in fact, he was also very panicked. He knew that there was something wrong with the followers of the Green Wind outside the city. Their physical strength and stamina might far exceed that of ordinary people. However, how much more was still unknown.

The only good news may be that the enemy's speed and flexibility are probably very poor, and it is probably impossible to expect them to carry engineering ladders across the moat and climb up the city wall.

They either filled in the moat or marched along the city gate steps, enduring the siege of the entire city defense system and taking the city by force.

Li Rufeng was very curious about which path they would choose. After all, this was his first head-on conflict with the Four Wind God's followers. As a time traveler, he felt a little...excited in his heart.

Because the distance was too far, Li Rufeng could not see the movements in the enemy camp, but when the enemy slowly moved the first catapult forward, the Aleppo defenders began to counterattack under the command of Muzaffar.

The city of Aleppo also has catapults, but there are only two of them, which are more than three meters high and can throw 30 to 40 kilograms of stone bullets to a distance of 250 meters. If the height of the city wall is added, the distance may be a little farther.

These two catapults were transported back by Li Rufeng from the city of Mardin. When they were in the city of Mardin, they were in the state of spare parts. At that time, he thought that he would rely on these two catapults to conquer the world, but he did not expect that these things would now become city defense equipment.

Unfortunately, there were few people inside and outside Aleppo who could operate the catapult well. After searching for a long time, the people who were finally responsible for calculating the trajectory were still the Genoa artillerymen that Li Rufeng had kept at a high price. They at least knew how to calculate the parabola.

As for the cannon that stayed with them, it was Li Rufeng's secret weapon. He planned to use the cannon to bombard the enemy's infantry positions after dawn. Don't they like to stand in military formation? Then let's fight to their heart's content.

However, there were very few platforms on the walls of Aleppo where catapults could be placed, and there were only three on the enemy side. After they determined the direction in which the enemy was camping, a group of workers were busy dismantling the catapults from their original locations and transporting them to new locations for reassembly.

Anyone who knows anything about wooden structures should understand that for such a large structure that needs to withstand huge torque, every disassembly and assembly will damage the lifespan and energy efficiency of these catapults.

Fortunately, Li Rufeng did not have high hopes for them. There were almost no scenes in history where catapults were used on a large scale as the main force in sieges. Even the gravity catapults called Huihui Cannons by the Song Dynasty, which are the types currently being used inside and outside Aleppo, are not the core weapons that determine the ownership of a city.

The Mongols used it to throw corpses at the defenders' positions before the battle, spread the plague, and undermine morale. This was a very formal way of using it. Apart from this, its biggest role was to use projectiles to suppress the archers on the city walls during the siege to cover the infantry's siege.

When Timur besieged Aleppo, he relied on tunneling and gunpowder blasting. Before that, a city fell because it was surrounded by heavy sieges, and the defenders could no longer endure hunger and eventually surrendered...

Since ancient times, those who attack from high and those who attack from low are fools. With the help of the height of the city wall, the range of Li Rufeng's catapults is more advantageous, but the artillery team used to calculate the trajectory are all middle-aged and elderly players. They have to run back and forth between the positions of the two catapults to make adjustments, and the distance between the two is more than 200 meters, which greatly reduces their efficiency.

Under Li Rufeng's watchful eye, the enemy's trebuchets stopped advancing, and the craftsmen began to secure the base and adjust the counterweights. Li Rufeng's trebuchets also failed to complete their launch preparations. Instead, an old man firing the cannon vomited from running himself...

A few minutes later, a dull sound came from the enemy position in the distance, attracting the attention of everyone on the city wall.

The enemy outside the city completed the adjustments first and finished the test firing before the defenders.

However, perhaps it was due to the poor skills of the operator or the poor skills of the craftsman who made the catapult. In any case, when it completed its first test shot, the cantilever that acted as a lever broke on the spot after the launch.

In the darkness, Li Rufeng could not see the trajectory of the thrown objects, but he subconsciously stood up straight and showed his bravery and fearlessness to all the soldiers.

He leaned his hands on the city wall and searched the sky. He knew that the probability of hitting the target in the first test shot was about the same as the probability of being killed by a meteor, but a sense of nervousness still emerged in his heart. He subconsciously exerted force with his fingers and kept tapping the cracks in the city wall.

puff!

A very wet muffled sound hit the ground near the edge of the moat more than 30 meters to the right front of Li Rufeng.

Without Li Rufeng's orders, the free and considerate guard threw a torch in that direction, illuminating the nearby area... There was a bloody corpse that had been thrown to the ground.

The Green Wind uses the corpses of its zealots... or worse, living humans infected with the plague as projectiles for its catapults.